Sapporo Ohashi Bridge, Road bridge in Tobetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
Sapporo Ohashi Bridge is a girder bridge about 980 m long over the Ishikari River, linking Kita-ku in Sapporo with Tobetsu. It carries the Tobetsu Bypass of National Route 337 and has two parallel structures: the first, 985.3 m long, opened in 1988, and a second, 982.5 m long, added downstream in 2016. The main span of 150 m made it Japan's longest box-girder span for a girder bridge at the time.
The first section opened in 1988 using innovative engineering methods. A second phase was completed in 2016 to handle increased traffic demands.
On the Tobetsu side stands a stone parent pillar shaped as a 9.85 m replica of the dugout canoe once used on the Ishikari River. The bridge carries National Route 337 and, on the span itself, also Hokkaido Route 112, which splits off at both ends.
The bridge carries National Route 337 over the Ishikari River between Sapporo's Kita Ward and Tobetsu. The 1988 span has a 2.5 m sidewalk on one side; the 2016 parallel span has no walkway. Route 337 overlaps Hokkaido Route 112 across the bridge and splits at both ends.
The steel box girders were enhanced in the second phase with specific improvements to prevent pavement cracking. These engineering solutions show how builders adapted to address problems identified in the original structure.
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